An automatic analyzer that automatically performs quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis of a biological sample such as blood and urine has become drastically widespread centering on large hospitals and clinical examination stations which need to process a large number of examination objects of patients to be examined in a short time, and various types of large, medium, and small-sized automatic analyzers have been developed depending on processing capabilities thereof. In particular, a large-sized apparatus that analyzes and processes a large number of examination objects may transport a plurality of examination object containers each having an examination object put thereinto to a plurality of analyzeres through a transport line (transport apparatus) in a state where the examination object containers are held in a holder called an examination object rack. In such an apparatus, a laboratory technician automatically executes the output of an analysis result by only inserting the examination object rack into an examination object rack insertion port.
In this case, a type of rack and an examination object are recognized and analyzed by a bar code reading apparatus on the transport line during the transport of the examination object rack inserted into the examination object rack insertion port through the transport line having a belt conveyor shape. As such an automatic analysis system, an automatic analysis system as disclosed in, for example, PTL 1 is known.
In addition, as disclosed in PTL 2, a plurality of analysis units are disposed along a transport line constituted by a belt conveyor, a rack supply unit is disposed on one end side of the transport line, and a rack recovery unit is disposed on the other end side thereof. In addition, a rack standby unit is disposed at the front of the rack recovery unit so that reexamination can be automatically performed.
In addition, an automatic analyzer as disclosed in PTL 3 is known. The automatic analyzer classifies types of examination objects for each examination object rack to consistently perform automation from the transport of a plurality of types of samples (examination objects) accommodated in sample containers for the respective types to the registration of measurement data of analysis results during the operation of the same analysis system.